Wow, so much to report!
Let's see, I finished the summer school with a total of ten hours completed and an outstanding 4.0 GPA. I also completed two independent study hours which has allowed me to continue my research into the fall semester. I am looking forward to this upcoming school semester as the stars are finally starting to aline for me. I will be taking on a leadership role in the lab with the Qcomm bld draws and I will be continuing my research into the seemingly endless benefits of anti-oxidants. Most recently I have been accepted into an undergraduate research program here at App State which is funding my research and paying for travel expenses to conferences. I will be traveling to Nashville the week after Clearwater to make my first presentation of my research which is extremely exciting. Following presenting I will driving to Chatty to run a 50k the following day in order to start my training regiment for the 100k I will be competing in in December. All really good things!
I am back to hitting it hard again. I had two weeks off from lab following second summer session. So as usual I choose to spend my vocation time at home training my skinny butt off. After two weeks of hitting close to 70hrs total of training I can say that there will be some results talking for themselves come mid-September at the Duke Liver Half-Ironman. This race is something I am really looking forward to since I have not raced a half since Florida 70.3 back in May. I am using it as a tune up for Clearwater.
I close with a few swimming observations:
1. Who is Michael Phelps?
2. A snorkel made for swimming freestyle only worsens one's technique while providing the individual with lung fulls of chlorinated water
3. What is the deal with the IM? What a sickening event if one swim stroke wasn't enough let's make you swim four different ones as fast as you. Swimmers are mastitis!
4. 50m is a terribly long way in a dimly lit pool at 6am in the morning
5. My hair will turn blond with enough sunlight and chlorine. I have not highlighted my hair for all those that are wondering!
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Sunday, August 10, 2008
Sport's Barn Sprint Race Report
First race since May! I can't believe it has been that long but that's the beauty of set back. Coming into this race, I knew it was going to be a savage all out effort of forty minutes. Oh how wonderful are sprint races.
Having started training about ten days ago the forth and fifth and even sixth gear needed to excell at such a distance was probably not going to be there. After a long week of great bike training along with two days of 'light' training, 4am came rather quickly.
After a wonderfully delightful breakfast of oatmeal with peanut butter and honey it was time to stash my running gear at T2 and head out to the lake. Warm up went smoothly in the dark. Just as the sun was starting to rise of the Chickamauga Lake, the buzzer sounded announcing that it was time to start the suffer fest.
The first 200m of the swim flew by and for the first time in my short triathlon career I found myself in about forth position in the water. We cornered the turn buoy and headed for home. I was passed by one swimmer and decided that I was in good enough position to attempt to draft. I sprinted out the final 50m to come ashore in fifth or sixth place. With a speedy transition, I was in second place heading out onto the bike. 600m up the road was the leader. Son of a bitch that guy must have been crushing the bike because by the seven mile marker he still remained about a minute up on me. I came off the bike leading the light brigade and exited transition still in second place but only with about fifteen seconds to spare on a group of three or four runners. Onto the run and out into the unknown foggy fitness area. Having only logged about thirty miles at most in one week of training, my running legs were far from fine toned. Unlike last year, the volunteers pointed the chase group down the wrong road and as usual being in the lead I was the one that suffered the time deficit. Could have should have would have but I came to a four way intersection with not a single clue on which way was the right way to turn. The people behind me only had to trustingly follow my ignorant lead. Luckily, my internal compass was operating and I embarked out on the right pathway. However, I saw the leader (who debatablely went the right way gaining a few seconds) and realized that the gap to him was not coming down. On the way back we were pointed onto the right bridge. I checked my six heading into the final 800m and saw that the guy behind me was up on his toes and looking like he was going to swallow me whole. I realized that I had no top end speed and needed to attack on the final bend if I had a shot at the podium. Rounding the last bend and into the last 600m I surged hard. The chaser countered hard and I moved into his draft but could not out kick him in the final sprint.
Overall, I am really happy with how the race went. Far from my ideal distance, I finished fourth overall with run course that left much to doubt. I had one of the fastest swim splits and backed it up with an equally strong bike and sub-11min 2mile run. I am heading into a couple weeks of building myself back into some decent fitness. Most importantly, I was over two minutes quicker than last year's time.
In other great news, I finished the school year strongly with an A in Philosophy and an A in bioanalytical chemistry. I am proud to announce that I am on my third summer break before the 'real' school year starts back in earnest August 26th.
Good luck to Zacca who will be taking the fight to the yankees at this year's Timberman 70.3 Look forward to toeing the line with ya in November at Clearwater!
Having started training about ten days ago the forth and fifth and even sixth gear needed to excell at such a distance was probably not going to be there. After a long week of great bike training along with two days of 'light' training, 4am came rather quickly.
After a wonderfully delightful breakfast of oatmeal with peanut butter and honey it was time to stash my running gear at T2 and head out to the lake. Warm up went smoothly in the dark. Just as the sun was starting to rise of the Chickamauga Lake, the buzzer sounded announcing that it was time to start the suffer fest.
The first 200m of the swim flew by and for the first time in my short triathlon career I found myself in about forth position in the water. We cornered the turn buoy and headed for home. I was passed by one swimmer and decided that I was in good enough position to attempt to draft. I sprinted out the final 50m to come ashore in fifth or sixth place. With a speedy transition, I was in second place heading out onto the bike. 600m up the road was the leader. Son of a bitch that guy must have been crushing the bike because by the seven mile marker he still remained about a minute up on me. I came off the bike leading the light brigade and exited transition still in second place but only with about fifteen seconds to spare on a group of three or four runners. Onto the run and out into the unknown foggy fitness area. Having only logged about thirty miles at most in one week of training, my running legs were far from fine toned. Unlike last year, the volunteers pointed the chase group down the wrong road and as usual being in the lead I was the one that suffered the time deficit. Could have should have would have but I came to a four way intersection with not a single clue on which way was the right way to turn. The people behind me only had to trustingly follow my ignorant lead. Luckily, my internal compass was operating and I embarked out on the right pathway. However, I saw the leader (who debatablely went the right way gaining a few seconds) and realized that the gap to him was not coming down. On the way back we were pointed onto the right bridge. I checked my six heading into the final 800m and saw that the guy behind me was up on his toes and looking like he was going to swallow me whole. I realized that I had no top end speed and needed to attack on the final bend if I had a shot at the podium. Rounding the last bend and into the last 600m I surged hard. The chaser countered hard and I moved into his draft but could not out kick him in the final sprint.
Overall, I am really happy with how the race went. Far from my ideal distance, I finished fourth overall with run course that left much to doubt. I had one of the fastest swim splits and backed it up with an equally strong bike and sub-11min 2mile run. I am heading into a couple weeks of building myself back into some decent fitness. Most importantly, I was over two minutes quicker than last year's time.
In other great news, I finished the school year strongly with an A in Philosophy and an A in bioanalytical chemistry. I am proud to announce that I am on my third summer break before the 'real' school year starts back in earnest August 26th.
Good luck to Zacca who will be taking the fight to the yankees at this year's Timberman 70.3 Look forward to toeing the line with ya in November at Clearwater!
Monday, July 21, 2008
It is coming! To a race course this August
Josh's radical new bike position...and beefy new swimming muscles
Sunday, July 20, 2008
On the road again!
I want to start off an apologize for my last rant about dopers. Alright with that said, Vive Le Tour!
As the title implies, I am back training part time on the road.I am coming back stronger on the bike and stronger in the water as well as stronger mentally. I will still be cautious over the next few weeks but fear not all training loss due to not training on the road will be made up with water running and cycling on the trainer.
In other news: Got a new job in the fall analyzing athletic performance-based hormones and hemocrit levels. Should be an amazing experience monitoring and learning about how different types of training affect different hormone production. Yippe!
I will close with another swimming observation: Monofin = the devil
As the title implies, I am back training part time on the road.I am coming back stronger on the bike and stronger in the water as well as stronger mentally. I will still be cautious over the next few weeks but fear not all training loss due to not training on the road will be made up with water running and cycling on the trainer.
In other news: Got a new job in the fall analyzing athletic performance-based hormones and hemocrit levels. Should be an amazing experience monitoring and learning about how different types of training affect different hormone production. Yippe!
I will close with another swimming observation: Monofin = the devil
Thursday, July 17, 2008
SCREW THE DOPERS
After Solar left the tour due to a broken wrist, Ricardo Ricco quickly became my choice for the overall KOM winner. Having already won two stages in the tour and numerous big mountain climbs, Ricco was thrown out the tour today after being caught with a new strain of EPO.
Being in the sport/medicine, I am constantly bombarded by people asking about my options about drugs in sport and the controlled measures/enforcement measures taken to punish these cheaters. Here we go again:
First of all, doping is not exclusive to just cycling or track/field. Doping is a horrible travesty that is inflicting all sports. It seems more prominent in these endurance sports because these are the sports that are taking the necessary measures to find and punish the cheaters. I can somewhat sympathize to the riders. Imagine running a ultra-marathon all out for 24straight days regardless of how you feel or what the weather or terrain might contain. On top of that imagine that this is your job and if you do not perform you loose your livelihood. Now imagine that there is a way to easy the pain during the marathon or a way to make you feel better at the start line the next day. Or imagine that you are constantly getting beaten by the same guy each day by a measly 5seconds. Because of that 5seconds that guy makes 30grand more a year than you do. Would you not look for anyway to improve? People have to realize that these people are more competitive that most people can believe. They will do anything to find that five seconds or recover quicker or make the constant wear and tear of training 35+ hrs/week. I am not supporting the dopers or making claims that what they are doing is right but to some degree I can see the rational behind their doping measures.
The real victims here are the people that do not dope. The clean racers that are suffering day in day out to compete at the same level as the dopers. I feel for the organizers of the tour de france having taken extreme measures to ensure a clean race. It must by tremendously embarrassing for them now that they are having to excuse entire teams of cheaters.
So here it is, screw the dopers, the cheaters and those that pretend to race clean. There is no honor in what you do. You are a cheater. You have no soul. You are a pretender. You race against everything that racing stands for. How can you claim to be a professional? As someone that is attempting to race/train cleanly it must be embarrassing to you that we can still compete at the same level as you. There is no place for you in our sport. Get out and stay out! You a disgrace and discredit the sports which we love!
Screw you Ricco and your cleavly disigned, new strain of EPO+!
Being in the sport/medicine, I am constantly bombarded by people asking about my options about drugs in sport and the controlled measures/enforcement measures taken to punish these cheaters. Here we go again:
First of all, doping is not exclusive to just cycling or track/field. Doping is a horrible travesty that is inflicting all sports. It seems more prominent in these endurance sports because these are the sports that are taking the necessary measures to find and punish the cheaters. I can somewhat sympathize to the riders. Imagine running a ultra-marathon all out for 24straight days regardless of how you feel or what the weather or terrain might contain. On top of that imagine that this is your job and if you do not perform you loose your livelihood. Now imagine that there is a way to easy the pain during the marathon or a way to make you feel better at the start line the next day. Or imagine that you are constantly getting beaten by the same guy each day by a measly 5seconds. Because of that 5seconds that guy makes 30grand more a year than you do. Would you not look for anyway to improve? People have to realize that these people are more competitive that most people can believe. They will do anything to find that five seconds or recover quicker or make the constant wear and tear of training 35+ hrs/week. I am not supporting the dopers or making claims that what they are doing is right but to some degree I can see the rational behind their doping measures.
The real victims here are the people that do not dope. The clean racers that are suffering day in day out to compete at the same level as the dopers. I feel for the organizers of the tour de france having taken extreme measures to ensure a clean race. It must by tremendously embarrassing for them now that they are having to excuse entire teams of cheaters.
So here it is, screw the dopers, the cheaters and those that pretend to race clean. There is no honor in what you do. You are a cheater. You have no soul. You are a pretender. You race against everything that racing stands for. How can you claim to be a professional? As someone that is attempting to race/train cleanly it must be embarrassing to you that we can still compete at the same level as you. There is no place for you in our sport. Get out and stay out! You a disgrace and discredit the sports which we love!
Screw you Ricco and your cleavly disigned, new strain of EPO+!
Monday, July 14, 2008
'Next time you are in your car, strip down to your underwear and jump out of your car. That is what it is like to crash in a professional bike race'
Always being one to frown on watching too much TV, I have as of late found myself nightly glued to the tube. Between the Olympic Trials, Tour De France and then followed up by the Olympics this is prime time TV viewing time for Josh as of which has not been seen in four years.
Tour De France
I follow pro cycling like most people follow normal sports (ie. football, baseball) I have been preaching these as the overall podium finishers in Paris.
Winner: Cadel Evans
Second Place: Alejandro Valverde
Third Place: Frank Schleck
At this moment my picks are holding strong. Valverde is starting to suck. I knew Valverde would be a threat in the Tour but I thought that he would have a hard time finishing atop the podium. He just won the Daulphine! You cannot carry that level of fitness for an entire month. Cadel although in yellow is still afaird to ride aggressively. This is Cadel's year though. He has focused this year on this race and come in smartly strong enough to progress his fitness in order to peak on the right days. Lotto has built a strong team around him plus they have Robbie Mcewen! I like the Schleck brothers but Frank is the obvious choice for the overall GC. Frank had a solid Tour de Swiss but is only now coming into strong fitness.
Last thing I am going to say...well...quote, "Screw the dopers, they ripped the soul out of the race." Kick ass Cadel! You're my dawg now that Levi isn't riding.
In other news:
I do not want to speak too soon but I have started my build back towards badass fitness. Swimming is progressing faster than I could have imagined. Very very excited with how it is going. Riding stronger than I was before I got hurt eventhough I am still confined to the trainer. Solid water running sessions are keeping my overall run muscle memory intact. I have a few more weeks of school left then a summer break part three. I more than likely will take those two weeks to build back a solid level of fitness along side a few local races! Thanks to everyone for their patience. I am more focused and determined than I have been all season and ready now to start the second portion of my season with a fully recharged battery!
In other other news:
School and work are going well. We have almost finished running all the F2 Iso's and then I get to start in on my own research. At this point I am I working hard alongside a few other highly motivated scientists to develop a Multiple Polyphenol Assay. I know what you are thinking. There is already a multi polyphenol assay. I know but mine is special in the sense that once perfected it will allow us to examine numerous samples at one time as opposed to ony running one sample at a time. With the data, work can be done towards differnet scientific avenues including oxidative stress, cancer research and obesity studies. Good stuff!
I am currently taking an Intro to Philosophy with Dr. Bartel. We are studing Plato's Republic. Well, Josh what have you learned from taking this class. Thanks for asking. I have learned nothing aside from the fact that I hate Plato and his closed minded bull shit! Aside from that I am really enjoying the class since it is utilizing a different part of my brain that I am not used to taping into. If anything I will be getting another humanities credit out the way.
I will close with an observation.
Short Course Meters = the Devil!
Tour De France
I follow pro cycling like most people follow normal sports (ie. football, baseball) I have been preaching these as the overall podium finishers in Paris.
Winner: Cadel Evans
Second Place: Alejandro Valverde
Third Place: Frank Schleck
At this moment my picks are holding strong. Valverde is starting to suck. I knew Valverde would be a threat in the Tour but I thought that he would have a hard time finishing atop the podium. He just won the Daulphine! You cannot carry that level of fitness for an entire month. Cadel although in yellow is still afaird to ride aggressively. This is Cadel's year though. He has focused this year on this race and come in smartly strong enough to progress his fitness in order to peak on the right days. Lotto has built a strong team around him plus they have Robbie Mcewen! I like the Schleck brothers but Frank is the obvious choice for the overall GC. Frank had a solid Tour de Swiss but is only now coming into strong fitness.
Last thing I am going to say...well...quote, "Screw the dopers, they ripped the soul out of the race." Kick ass Cadel! You're my dawg now that Levi isn't riding.
In other news:
I do not want to speak too soon but I have started my build back towards badass fitness. Swimming is progressing faster than I could have imagined. Very very excited with how it is going. Riding stronger than I was before I got hurt eventhough I am still confined to the trainer. Solid water running sessions are keeping my overall run muscle memory intact. I have a few more weeks of school left then a summer break part three. I more than likely will take those two weeks to build back a solid level of fitness along side a few local races! Thanks to everyone for their patience. I am more focused and determined than I have been all season and ready now to start the second portion of my season with a fully recharged battery!
In other other news:
School and work are going well. We have almost finished running all the F2 Iso's and then I get to start in on my own research. At this point I am I working hard alongside a few other highly motivated scientists to develop a Multiple Polyphenol Assay. I know what you are thinking. There is already a multi polyphenol assay. I know but mine is special in the sense that once perfected it will allow us to examine numerous samples at one time as opposed to ony running one sample at a time. With the data, work can be done towards differnet scientific avenues including oxidative stress, cancer research and obesity studies. Good stuff!
I am currently taking an Intro to Philosophy with Dr. Bartel. We are studing Plato's Republic. Well, Josh what have you learned from taking this class. Thanks for asking. I have learned nothing aside from the fact that I hate Plato and his closed minded bull shit! Aside from that I am really enjoying the class since it is utilizing a different part of my brain that I am not used to taping into. If anything I will be getting another humanities credit out the way.
I will close with an observation.
Short Course Meters = the Devil!
Friday, July 4, 2008
Firecrackers and 5ks
Today as you probably know is the fourth of July. Go America. That being said and now that I have gotten my patriotism out of the way I figured what better way to spend a fourth of July (besides the obvious, fighting off aliens alongside Will Smith) than compete in a 5k.
With my back out of commission I have been reduced to becoming an amphibian; part man, part scientist, all sea otter (Kind of like a mini Jabber Jaw_). Yes, to many people's surprise, I have been taking the necessary time to heal and mend my broken back and have shied away from thrashing my body with my normal training volume. Soon though I vow to be back training full time and when that magical day comes I will be a force to be reckoned with at Clearwater.
So back to my 5k which I am sure everyone is wondering, WTF you ran a 5k? No, I did not run I swam a 5k. 1.whatever down river and 1.whatever back up stream in roughly an hour. Looks like my swimming is coming along even with taking a full week off from doing anything.
I returned to ChattyVegas on Wednesday after working a miserable, blitzkrieg of 50hrs in four days in the biochemistry lab. I was running on average 25-30 samples a day! Tough stuff. Nothing like a mental exercise when your body is crapping out on you. Yesterday was spent with my mother who I have not seen in weeks since she has been doing mission work in the third world country of Equador. Hearing about her trip only reinforced my excitement about Kristen and my trip to Africa next summer.
temp. I hate not racing Chattanooga Waterfront but I do not envy those that will be swimming in that water. We set out in the dark spotting off the far bank as our course wrapped around the bank and dropped us into a cove. Since it was the fourth people thankfully were getting a late start on the lake to This morning in typical Josh Wheeler fashion, I awoke at my normal 4:45am to get the swim race on time. I recently got a one cup French Press Coffee Maker which has been saving my life in these wee hour mornings. I jumped in my car flew down the mountain (ib flew not the right word since I just got a speeding ticket as I was attempting to hone in my nascar skills driving through Johnson City, 'If you're not first, you're last'). I got the swim start with about thirty minutes to spare and promptly was the first to jump in the water which was around bathtub and we seemingly had the lake to ourselves at 7am. I was mindful not to take it out too hard since I have not swam since Sunday. However, I couldn't control myself and dropped the hammer early hoping to get onto the flipper guys feet. That worked for about the first 1000m then I got dropped and put in my place with the normal swimmers. Still not a bad position to be in. I did realize that when I swim openwater I have trouble holding a steady pace. Unlike cycling or running I cannot judge my speed so I am constantly accelerating and decelerating. I was trying to learn how to more effectively draft in the water since I suck at this skill and typically spend most of every triathlon swimming alone by myself in zig zags from buoy buoy. I learned as usual that I need to draft off the hip but I felt bad doing so because I kept runnign into the swimmer in front of me. Finally we reached the turnout point, a piece of shit rotten dock with two bass fishing boats tied up to it. Get R Done. The fishermen (I think I am giving them too much credit calling them fishermen, when in reality they were just bubbas out getting their fishing done before what they called the 'parade, sturred up all the trouts') Always fun to mix with the locals. The way back I was finally coming around on my stroke and settled down a little. I finished probably fourth or fifth person back in a little over an hour and five minutes. Not to shabby I guess when you consider that was a faster average than I did for the Fl 70.3 swim and I was swimming up river.
The remainder of the day was spent breaking into our neighbor's pool since they are out of town (hey I am from TN, I do have do partake in something redneck, white trash on the 4th) and finishing my newest book No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, one the greatest high mountain climbers in the world, and reading my MCAT book. Ahh, I love my off days.
Headed back to Boone Town on Sunday with school starting up on Tuesday. Wonderful, right back to work. Should be back up to training alittle next week and surely back to full steam the following week. Watch out, I am focused, healed and ready to rip the aero bars off with my teeth...right...
With my back out of commission I have been reduced to becoming an amphibian; part man, part scientist, all sea otter (Kind of like a mini Jabber Jaw_). Yes, to many people's surprise, I have been taking the necessary time to heal and mend my broken back and have shied away from thrashing my body with my normal training volume. Soon though I vow to be back training full time and when that magical day comes I will be a force to be reckoned with at Clearwater.
So back to my 5k which I am sure everyone is wondering, WTF you ran a 5k? No, I did not run I swam a 5k. 1.whatever down river and 1.whatever back up stream in roughly an hour. Looks like my swimming is coming along even with taking a full week off from doing anything.
I returned to ChattyVegas on Wednesday after working a miserable, blitzkrieg of 50hrs in four days in the biochemistry lab. I was running on average 25-30 samples a day! Tough stuff. Nothing like a mental exercise when your body is crapping out on you. Yesterday was spent with my mother who I have not seen in weeks since she has been doing mission work in the third world country of Equador. Hearing about her trip only reinforced my excitement about Kristen and my trip to Africa next summer.
temp. I hate not racing Chattanooga Waterfront but I do not envy those that will be swimming in that water. We set out in the dark spotting off the far bank as our course wrapped around the bank and dropped us into a cove. Since it was the fourth people thankfully were getting a late start on the lake to This morning in typical Josh Wheeler fashion, I awoke at my normal 4:45am to get the swim race on time. I recently got a one cup French Press Coffee Maker which has been saving my life in these wee hour mornings. I jumped in my car flew down the mountain (ib flew not the right word since I just got a speeding ticket as I was attempting to hone in my nascar skills driving through Johnson City, 'If you're not first, you're last'). I got the swim start with about thirty minutes to spare and promptly was the first to jump in the water which was around bathtub and we seemingly had the lake to ourselves at 7am. I was mindful not to take it out too hard since I have not swam since Sunday. However, I couldn't control myself and dropped the hammer early hoping to get onto the flipper guys feet. That worked for about the first 1000m then I got dropped and put in my place with the normal swimmers. Still not a bad position to be in. I did realize that when I swim openwater I have trouble holding a steady pace. Unlike cycling or running I cannot judge my speed so I am constantly accelerating and decelerating. I was trying to learn how to more effectively draft in the water since I suck at this skill and typically spend most of every triathlon swimming alone by myself in zig zags from buoy buoy. I learned as usual that I need to draft off the hip but I felt bad doing so because I kept runnign into the swimmer in front of me. Finally we reached the turnout point, a piece of shit rotten dock with two bass fishing boats tied up to it. Get R Done. The fishermen (I think I am giving them too much credit calling them fishermen, when in reality they were just bubbas out getting their fishing done before what they called the 'parade, sturred up all the trouts') Always fun to mix with the locals. The way back I was finally coming around on my stroke and settled down a little. I finished probably fourth or fifth person back in a little over an hour and five minutes. Not to shabby I guess when you consider that was a faster average than I did for the Fl 70.3 swim and I was swimming up river.
The remainder of the day was spent breaking into our neighbor's pool since they are out of town (hey I am from TN, I do have do partake in something redneck, white trash on the 4th) and finishing my newest book No Shortcuts to the Top by Ed Viesturs, one the greatest high mountain climbers in the world, and reading my MCAT book. Ahh, I love my off days.
Headed back to Boone Town on Sunday with school starting up on Tuesday. Wonderful, right back to work. Should be back up to training alittle next week and surely back to full steam the following week. Watch out, I am focused, healed and ready to rip the aero bars off with my teeth...right...
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